Friday, February 09, 2007

Congratulations to Producer Ben Odell whose film “Padre Nuestro," a Spanish-language immigrant drama set in New York City was awarded the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. "Padre Nuestro," centers on immigrants Juan and Pedro who meet en route to New York where Pedro hopes to meet his successful father. Juan, fleeing a criminal past, steals Pedro's belongings and later introduces himself to Pedro's father as his son, hoping to cash in on the father's supposed wealth.

Producer Jon Stern’s film “The Ten,” was acquired for $4.5 million by ThinkFilm and City Lights Home Entertainment. ThinkFilm will handle domestic theatrical distribution while City Lights will release on DVD through Warner’s Music Group’s WEA Corp. The film features Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Live Schreiber, Justin Theroux, Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt and Famke Janssen.

Writer/Director Craig Brewer premiered his film “Black Snake Moan” to an enthusiastic crowd. In attendance were stars Justin Timberlake, Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci among others. http://www.myspace.com/blacksnakemoanmovie The Paramount film opens in theatres February 23rd. For a review go to: http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/30955

Writer/Director Cecilia Miniucchi and Executive Producer Antoni Stutz “Expired” premiered to a packed house and great reviews: Critic Dave Poland says: “Just saw what might well be this Sundance's You, Me & Everyone We Know. It's called Expired and it is a romance of broken people who, in this case, happen to be meter "maids…The film stars Samantha Morton in one of her most daring, near silent, performances. She has no past that we know of. She lives with her mother (a terrific, dramatic mute-because-of-illness performance by Teri Garr). And she is at a standstill, watching the lights of Christmas, working as a meter maid as an odd homage to her dead father, who loved cars.Jason Patric is a meter maid prick of epic proportions.The Hollywood Reporter said: “A touching and unlikely romance that is no gloss but all heart and brains.” Read full review at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/awards_festivals/cannes/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=8653.

RISKY BUSINESS SEMINAR COMING TO NEW YORK

Mark will present his "Risky Business: Financing & Distributing Independent Films" seminar for the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of New York on April 28, 2007 in Manhattan from 10 AM to 5 PM. Those who attend this comprehensive two-day seminar will learn how independent films are financed and distributed. Topics include organizing your company, raising financing via pre-sales, debt and limited partnerships, negotiating tactics, principal terms of the acquisition/distribution agreement, cross-collateralization and creative accounting. Particular attention is paid to how producers and filmmakers can protect their interests by watering down warranties, getting added to the E& O policy, using lab access letter to retain possession of the negative, and utilizing termination and arbitration clauses.The seminar will be held at One New York Plaza. Six hours of CLE credits are available for lawyers. For additional information or to register call Jonathan Tominar at VLA: 212.319.2787 x10. http://www.vlany.org/education/workshops.php

For the second year in a row, Mark Litwak has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer by the publishers of Law & Politics and Los Angeles Magazine.

Law & Politics mails ballots to 48,000 active lawyers in Southern California who have been in practice for five years or more. The ballot asks lawyers to nominate the best attorneys they’ve personally observed in action. The secret ballots are then tallied, and a blue ribbon panel of top attorneys then reviews those with the greatest number of votes. A background check is conducted to verify information about each nominee and to check for any disciplinary actions.

A copy of the magazine is mailed to all lawyers and the magazine is also distributed as a supplement in Los Angeles Magazine. Super Lawyers are also listed on line at http://www.superlawyers.com/

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About Me

A veteran entertainment lawyer, arbitrator, expert witness and author, Mark Litwak has provided legal services or acted as a producer rep on more than 100 feature films. He is the author of 6 books including: Reel Power, Dealmaking in the Film and Television Industry (winner of the 1995 Kraszna-Krausz Book Award), Contracts for the Film and Television Industry, and Risky Business: Financing and Distributing Independent Film. He is also the author of the popular CD-ROM Movie Magic Contracts.
As a law professor, he currently teaches at the U.S.C. School of Law, and has previously taught at the Univ. of Puget Sound and Loyola Law Schools. He has been on the faculty at UCLA for 24 years. He has lectured for the American, California and Texas bar associations. A frequent speaker, he has lectured at many universities including Harvard, the American Film Institute, Columbia University and NYU. He has also presented movie industry seminars in England, Australia, South Africa and Canada.
Mark Litwak is AV®
Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubble and has been named a Superlawyer multiple times by the publishers of Law and Politics Magazine.